Category Archives: alternatives

2014, alternatives, crime, Movie Review, movies, thriller

[Alternatives] – Movies – Nightcrawler

December 15, 2014 Joey @ thoughts and afterthoughts 5 Comments

Alternatives is the tagline feature for other forms of entertainment outside of discussing literature. These posts may encompass television, movies, games, and music with a randomized flavour of the moment approach to each post.

Alternatives
Movies – Nightcrawler

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Duration: 117 Minutes
Directed & Written By: Dan Gilroy

"NIGHTCRAWLER is a pulse-pounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling -- where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou thrives. In the breakneck, ceaseless search for footage, he becomes the star of his own story."

Nightcrawler—not to be confused with the Marvel mutant—gives a master class in shameless journalism that panders to fear mongering and is served with a side of ambitious, sociopathic enthusiasm of the everyday schmuckn. This is perhaps the superficial layer of the film and it works just fine. But the meaning is rooted in how Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) treats himself as an enterprise. From discovering where his core values and interests lie to business modeling and analytics, every action reinforces Lou’s corporate mantra as he navigates the competitive landscape while maintaining and manipulating his relationships with only success in mind. It becomes incredibly fascinating (and a tad bit frightening) to witness Lou endorse the American dream; an aspect this film paradoxes so well of today’s culture of ambition. “If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket.” Logically sound, metaphorically resilient—Ayn Rand would surely endorse this film—and it is a meaning best understood post-viewing.

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[Alternatives] – Movie Trailers – Insurgent

December 12, 2014 Joey @ thoughts and afterthoughts 8 Comments

Alternatives
Movie Trailers – Insurgent

It doesn’t feel like it’s been (almost) a year since the Divergent movie made it’s mark in theaters. With the official trailer that was released today, I am also perhaps the 1% who has forgotten everything that happened in Insurgent (except for the end which was like: wut?). I feel like there’s a lot more going on, action-wise, in this movie than from what I remember in the novel (or I just have really bad memory). So I might need to peruse this novel again because I only seem to recall a lot of melodramatic angst and relationship issues LOL. (Which is why I am now trying to understand how I awarded this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. I am perplexed.)

Am I the only one who thinks that the world being imagined is a bit too bright? I’ve always pictured the Chicago where the series takes place to be darker in terms of lighting; gloomier perhaps, but certainly not as illuminated as Divergent made the Dauntless faction out to be (as an example).

insurgent official movie poster

Roles I’m excited to see fleshed out?

I’m interested in how Keiynan delivers Uriah as I’ve only seen him in the Australian television show, Dance Academy. Not to mention the creative decision (over and beyond what I’m willing to comprehend), to NOT include these sub-chars (including Marlene/Lynn) in the first movie.

I love me some Octavia Spencer! (I’m sad to hear that Red Band Society is pending cancellation.) I will admit that I didn’t picture Spencer in Johanna Reyes, but I guess I have to remember that Johanna was pretty nondescript in the books. I think.

Anyways, what are you most looking forward to with this sequel?

Cheers,
Joey